Naomi Osaka got this one TOTALLY wrong!!!

At the Indian Wells tennis event earlier in the week, a female spectator yelled out ”Naomi you suck”! Osaka went on to lose 6-0, 6-4 and was in tears, saying this brought back memories of the year the Williams sisters and their dad received racial abuse at the same venue. Ok Naomi!

Had the spectator shouted “Naomi you suck because you’re black!” then, perhaps conjuring up the Williams’ situation would make sense. Even if the ”Naomi you suck” shout was motivated by the spectator’s racist disposition, the fact remains she did not make any racist comment. Etiquette is what’s lacking BUT, in sport, when a packed arena chant one sports person’s name and we say it’s supporting that athlete, and he or she wins and thanks the fans for their support – how do we think that ”support” impacted the opponent? So, when athletes channel that support, to the detriment of their opponent, is that unfair? is it wrong?

Osaka needs to get a sports psychologist and toughen herself up or go and find some other vocation. Getting reduced to a gibbering wreck and crying profusely because some idiot in the crowd say you suck, is not what one would expert of any sports man or woman at any level of sport, let alone the level Osaka’s at. I am very concerned for her, she appears to be heading for a tragic end and although the signs are there, nobody is helping her! Her team need to assess her and if she is this fragile, they need to protect her immediately, by perhaps advising her to quit the sport. Otherwise, all her future opponents will simply need to plant a relative in the crowd to yell out ”Naomi you suck!” and they are guaranteed an easy win, as she crumbles into tears

If sports men & women enjoy the adulation, the rockstar status, they have to be equally prepared to blank and ignore the heckling. Surely, that is what they are trained for?

To try to link every negativity to racism is not a healthy position to be in. In any case, once you’ve shown that this is your weak point, it will be savagely exploited. Bullies don’t stop because they see you crying. They are encouraged…

I don’t know what sad satisfaction any fan or spectator would derive from yelling out ”Naomi you suck!”, but if the yell had been ”Naomi you’re the best!” and it made Osaka smile and perform better, then, that’s the scale tipped in her favour? I mean the reaction from Osaka is just bizarre. She needs to focus on her tennis and part of that, is learning to shut out the crowd..